1981 [hot]: Possession

You like art that bruises. You think Requiem for a Dream was too gentle. You want to understand the outer limits of cinematic acting.

Sam Neill, fresh off Jurassic Park fame, has called it the most difficult role of his career. He and Adjani reportedly hated each other on set, which only fuels the film’s volcanic energy. Possession is not a "good" movie in the conventional sense. It is a masterpiece of chaos. Watching it feels like a fever breaking. possession 1981

If you are going through a breakup, grieving a loss, or feeling like your life is coming apart at the seams, this film will either heal you or destroy you. Maybe both. You like art that bruises

Adjani was so traumatized by filming this scene (which took over a week of 12-hour days) that she reportedly tried to cut her own throat on set. The director had to talk her down. Sam Neill, fresh off Jurassic Park fame, has

If you’ve only seen the famous GIF of Isabelle Adjani convulsing in a subway tunnel, you know the image but not the context. Directed by Polish filmmaker Andrzej Żuławski, Possession is a brutal, beautiful, and baffling masterpiece. Here’s why you need to see it—and how to survive the experience. On the surface, the plot is simple: Mark (Sam Neill) returns home to West Berlin after a long business trip to find that his wife, Anna (Isabelle Adjani), wants a divorce. She has been having an affair.